worship

"Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong". This is an epithet attributed to Mahatma Gandhi, said of Nelson Mandela, and central to a Christian understanding of strength as the power of love rather than a love for the kind of power that overwhelms.

Christmas, when people who rarely enter a church often pay their annual visit, could be a time to challenge perceptions of Christianity. Unfortunately, says Symon Hill, we seem to respond to their arrival by singing some of the most badly written, incomprehensible and theologically dubious songs ever produced. Perhaps it's time to shred the carol sheet.

In many churches today, hymns have been largely or wholly replaced by worship songs. Some of these are of high quality and accessible to a wider range of worshippers. However, says Savitri Hensman, perhaps there should be more discussion of how this trend may influence the ways in which Christians relate to the Bible and understand themselves, God and the world.

The Iona Community is a dispersed Christian ecumenical community working simultaneously for peace and social justice, the rebuilding of human bonds of collaboration locally and globally, and the renewal of worship. This past weekend it has been celebrating its 75th anniversary.

If you're not convinced that Anzac Day in New Zealand bears the hallmarks of fundamentalist religious belief, try questioning anything about the state's most holy day and feel the vitriolic reaction, says Sande Ramage, exploring the myths around Easter and Anzac, which coincide in 2011.